# Project lifecycle and transfer

Rename, archive, restore, transfer, and permanently delete a project safely.

Project settings separate reversible identity and archive changes from owner-only transfer and
permanent deletion.

Owners and admins can rename, archive, and restore. Transfer and permanent deletion require the
organisation owner.

## Rename a project

The display name and URL slug can change without changing internal project identity, flag keys,
environment keys, or evaluation-key bindings.

The console URL changes when the slug changes. Update bookmarks, runbooks, and human-facing links.
API automation should store durable IDs rather than parse console URLs.

Project slugs must use lowercase letters, numbers, and dashes. Reserved organisation navigation names are
rejected.

## Archive and restore

Archive removes a project from ordinary active views and blocks normal management work while preserving
configuration and activity.

Use archive when work is paused, an application is retired, or deletion needs a reversible checkpoint.
Archived-project discovery remains available from the organisation project list.

Restore before editing resources or resuming ordinary work. Review old credentials, defaults, and
application ownership after a long archive period.

Archive does not clear values already held in a running SDK. It also does not remove guarded code from
application repositories.

## Prepare a transfer

The source actor must be owner and can transfer only to an organisation where they are owner or admin.

Before confirming:

1. Review destination membership and roles.
2. Review billing and plan boundaries.
3. Compare operational defaults.
4. Identify runtime, client, and management credentials.
5. Notify automation owners.
6. Record the ownership reason without sensitive data.

Do not use transfer to bypass role, plan, billing, or organisation lifecycle restrictions.

## Transfer effects

If the destination uses the same slug, FeatureGate adds a numeric suffix. The internal project ID
remains stable while the console URL changes.

Active runtime and client keys are rebound to the destination so evaluation can continue. Project-scoped
management keys in the source are revoked because their authority cannot cross organisations.

Historical activity and API usage attribution remain with the source organisation. Source and
destination both receive transfer events.

Runtime invalidation is published for active environments. Snapshot clients still need a successful
refresh before they hold current state.

## Verify after transfer

- Open the project from the destination organisation.
- Confirm the final slug and update saved links.
- Verify production evaluation with a safe request.
- Confirm snapshot refresh health.
- Replace revoked source management automation.
- Review destination roles and key rotation ownership.
- Confirm source and destination activity events.

## Permanent deletion

Only an owner can permanently delete a project, and the project must be archived first. Deletion is
not the first step of application cleanup.

Before deletion:

1. Remove guarded code and project integrations.
2. Revoke or replace callers.
3. Confirm acceptable defaults during shutdown.
4. Archive and wait for operational verification.
5. Retain records required by organisational policy.
6. Confirm the exact archived project before deleting.

Running SDKs may retain their last snapshot until refresh, restart, or discard. Deletion cannot erase
customer-process memory.

## Common problems

- **Transfer is unavailable:** confirm the actor is source owner and owner or admin at destination.
- **The slug changed:** use the numeric-suffixed destination URL.
- **Automation returns `401`:** replace a revoked source management key.
- **An archived project cannot be edited:** restore it first.
- **A deleted flag value remains locally:** restart or refresh the customer process.

Related pages: [Projects](/docs/platform/projects),
[Activity and audit history](/docs/operate/activity-and-audit), and
[Evaluation credentials](/docs/evaluate/credentials).